The New York Mets are underachieving, and GM David Stearns is only now starting to face real criticism.
The New York Mets are trying to salvage what's becoming a lost season, and manager Carlos Mendoza has come under fire in all kinds of ways. He’s been criticized for the team’s lackluster play, some of his in-game pitching decisions and his ability to handle the positional chaos that’s become the Mets daily lineup.
But GM David Stearns is taking for less heat, and fans want to know why. Tim Britton of The Athletic explored this issue in his latest mailbag as he took a dive into what’s become a fascinating dynamic between manager and GM.
Stearns has still been getting criticized, but there are several good reasons why Mendoza has been getting far more of the blame for what’s been happening. One is that Mendoza is currently in the final year of his contract, plus the Mets already put a bullseye on the manager’s back by firing his entire coaching staff.
The GM’s situation, however is very different. Owner Steve Cohen wanted to hire Stearns well before he actually landed him, according to Britton, with his interest in the GM dating back to 2021. That means Stearns has a bit of a buffer, although finishing out of the playoffs again would put him on the hot seat.
As for Stearns’ roster moves in the offseason, his track record isn’t great. New first baseman Jorge Polanco hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and the Mets don’t really have anyone else who can competently play first base. Things aren’t much better on the other side of the infield, either, as adding Bo Bichette displaced Brett Baty at third, and now Bichette is being forced to shift over to short with Francisco Lindor out.
The outfield situation is only slightly better. New center fielder Luis Robert Jr. got off to a hot start, but now he’s hurt, and the slump he was in before he was injured made him look a lot more like the mediocre outfielder the Chicago White Sox had no desire to re-sign.
Carson Benge may work out to be a good player, but it’s taking time, and the Mets don’t have a lot of that because they got off to such a bad start. As a result the Mets have been forced to use a series of retread outfielders alongside Benge who don’t belong anywhere near the lineup of a contending team.
The good news is that the Mets finally won a series against the Los Angeles Angels, and they’ve put themselves in position to win another one against the Colorado Rockies this week. The Mets still have a long way to go, but there is time to dig out of the hole they’re in if they can start consistently winning series.